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Juvenile Crime
Written by Administrator Friday, 15 August 2008 16:44 |
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Juvenile crime refers to criminal acts that are committed by juveniles. The majority of legal systems have certain procedures when dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are many different theories on what causes juveniles to commit crimes. Since the middle of the twentieth century, there has been a significant rise in juvenile crime. The first theory to the cause of juvenile crime is the rational choice theory. This theory states that the reason for the crime is held within the individual offender, rather than external influences. People who believe this theory believe that the offenders free will and self-interest motivate them to commit juvenile crime. The rational choice theory states that juveniles weigh the pros and cons of committing a crime, and commit it when in their mind the pros outweigh the cons. On the other hand, this theory cannot explain the why juveniles decide to commit the crimes in the first place. The social disorganization theory focuses on the social and cultural environment a youth has been exposed to and how these conditions may lead a young person to commit a juvenile crime. This theory enables people to say that the factors that determine if a juvenile commits a crime is utterly out of the young person’s control. Another theory is the subcultural theory. According to this theory, youths are unable to achieve socially valued status and turn to groups of juvenile delinquents where criminal behavior might actually be valued, thus increasing the youth’s status in that culture. This theory is relevant for juvenile crimes that aren’t economically motivated. Subcultural theories have been criticized for making too big of a distinction between deviant acts and what is normal. There are many other theories out there, but this is merely a sampling of what some theorists believe. It is widely believed that juvenile crime is disproportionately committed by boys and young men. One of the reasons this is believed is because masculinity may make males more likely to commit a juvenile crime. They believe they have to be tough, aggressive, and competitive in order to show how masculine they are. Because of this, young men believe they have to act out these behaviors and participate in antisocial and criminal behaviors. On the other hand, the way boys and young men are treated by their parents can possibly make them more susceptible to committing a juvenile crime. There are many efforts aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency. These efforts to prevent juvenile crime are comprehensive in scope due to the fact that juvenile delinquency is influenced by many different factors. These prevention services range from family counseling to substance abuse education and treatment, to parenting education and so much more. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 25 August 2008 15:53 ) | |
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